In this modern age of dating, you never quite know what you're going to get. The popularity of
dating apps such as
and Bumble have limited face-to-face interaction, meaning that we're more likely to find potential partners by swiping left and right on our phones, rather than in chance encounters or introductions from mutual friends.
And while it comes with its benefits, there are clear downsides to this form of courting as well. From ghosting,
and firedooring to the now infamous catfishing, social media can sometimes be overwhelming in the sheer number of dating "fails" that you hear about on platforms such as Twitter and Snapchat.
However, this story has to take the cake: imagine flying an eye-watering 700 miles to meet someone you'd met online, only to be confronted with their husband. And not only that, picture then being savagely beaten by the said husband and his band of cronies for your mistake.
This was the reality for Mr Liu who had flown 700 miles on December 11th, from central China to Funyan, in the south-west Yunnan province to meet Ms Duan after interacting with her via an online dating app.
The man, who was also married, was mercilessly beaten by the woman's husband and his friends while a crowd of people looked on and filmed the spectacle. Mobile footage depicts Mr Liu being pinned to a tree
before four men repeatedly struck his body and legs with whips and leather belts.
Despite the brutality of the public shaming, the horde of onlookers refused to intervene, choosing instead to whip out their smartphones and record the incident.
Ms Duan's husband was purportedly alerted to Mr Liu's visit after discovering his wife's dating profile on her mobile device - she was also nowhere to be seen during the attack.
Now, of course, the internet had quite a reaction to the news. One Facebook user wrote, "What about the wife, she should not of been on dating sites," while another corroborated, "It's illogical and pointless for him to beat his wife's lover - it won't stop it happening again will it?"
Other commentators took issue with the fact that Ms Duan's husband relied on his friends to help him beat up Mr Liu, saying "The husband should be man enough to settle this one-on-one in a fistful duel with the other man.Why calling others to fight for you? Weakling! No wonder she is looking elsewhere"
While it's easy to feel sorry for Mr Liu, who can't be seen fighting back in any of the images, we have to remember that he too was married at the time. And cheating, in any manner, cannot be condoned. And despite not knowing the intricacies of either Mr Liu of Ms Duan's marriages, I think it's safe to say that online dating isn't the way to get around it. I guess you could say that karma really is a b***h.
